Mystery Respiratory Illness - Virus, Bacteria, Both?

[Ransomalpine]

Hi All,

I was recently on vacation in Whistler Canada and encountered a respiratory illness that made me the sickest I've been in 10 years. I am feeling better now, but I've never encountered such an illness.

I'm curious what you all think it might have been.

Here's what went down:

Day 1: I woke up at about 4am drenched in sweat. Other than being soaked I felt fine. I changed my shirt, turned down the heat in my room, and went back to sleep. I woke up at 9am feeling fine and went skiing. After skiing around 1:00pm, my wind pipe below my throat started to feel like someone dumped battery acid down it and I started to cough up dark yellow phlegm from deep in my lungs. I was coughing up yellow phlegm until I went to bed, but did not feel sick and had no sneezing or normal sore throat that I usually get when getting a viral infection (including covid).

Day 2: I woke up at 2am and felt like I got hit by a train. I was freezing, was again drenched in sweat (absolutely drenched), felt hot to the touch, was so weak I could barely move, and was shaking so bad I shattered my thermometer when I tried to take my temperature. At 5am I took 100mg of doxycycline looking for some sort of relief. I fell back asleep and woke up at 10am again drenched in sweat, shivering, and so weak I could barely talk. I had a new thermometer delivered and it read 102.3 at 12pm. I took another 100mg of doxy and went back to sleep only waking up on and off throughout the day to shower and change my sweat soaked clothes. By 5pm my temperature was down to 99.9, I started feeling better, and the cough subsided slightly, however my head hurt pretty bad when I did cough and I was still pretty sweaty. I took another 100mg doxy before bed and only woke up slightly sweaty a few times (far less than the night before).

Day 3: Woke up feeling worlds better. Fever was gone, I was hardly sweating and just had residual weakness and a lingering cough and head ache. By 2pm I was out and about, got some coffee and went for a drive. I continued doxy 3x a day. In the evening I had low energy, but I improved significantly from 24 hours prior.

Day 4: Was nearly back to normal except for a lingering cough here and there and slight weakness.  

Day 5: Felt nearly normal except for the lingering cough. Flew home (masked up ofc) and made it through the travel day like a champ.

I am now 10 days post getting sick and still have a lingering cough. I've continued doxy 3x a day and will do so for the next four days per my doctor's direction.

My friends ended up getting sick after I did. They had similar symptoms but not as bad. It also took a day or two longer for them to recover than I did.

Everyone thinks it was COVID, but I'm not so sure. Especially with the quick recovery after starting doxy and thick yellow mucus as a first symptom.

I'm a 26 year old male in excellent shape. Unfortunately I do get sick with colds from the gym rather frequently, but nothing like this.

I appreciate you taking the time to read my story and appreciate any insight you may offer.

Best,
Randy        

[GuitarRox]

It's been awhile, I assume you are recovered by now. Update us.

For info, it's never wise to start antibiotics unless specifically prescribed for your symptoms at the time you are having them. When we self treat, we muck it up a lot of the time.  Sounded like a virus to me.

Bacteria such as strep throat can transfer from person to person. But often, bacterial infections are secondary. We first get a virus and then that turns into something bacterial. Such as . . . we get a nasty respiratory virus. The mucous sits in our lungs. Turns into bronchitis. The key is to keep the mucous moving. Same with sinusitis. Starts as a cold but turns into a secondary bacterial infection.

So, it sounded like a virus to me. When we take antibiotics for a virus, we risk it not working when we have a bacterial infection. Bacteria is smart and figures out how to work around antibiotics and that is why we have to use ONLY when appropriate and exactly like it is prescribed for the proper duration. Or we risk developing resistance.